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Hitting the Wall

I guess like any runner, I have hit that mythical wall. I have had a bit of a hiccup in practice.
This past week has been crazy. I have been busy with work, school and college plans. I remember how it started. I broke a rule and skipped sitting one night. I said that I would make it up the next night, but that never happened. Besides I did not think one day would matter. Well one day turned into two, three, four, and then a week and a half flew by. I felt as if something was missing. I would try to fit in an insta-zazen here and there but I did not think that was a proper substitute. I thought it was my imagination and it very well may be, but I think it is from not sitting.

I just was wondering if anyone else has ever had a hiccup in practice. If anyone else ‘pushed off’ sitting and if anyone else felt odd when they did.

In any case I am sitting again starting today, and I hope to continue daily.

Re: Hitting the Wall

Hi Kyle and all,

Yes! Absolutely, I have pushed off sitting...usually in order to do something else. But I've realized that there are always ten thousand things I could be doing at any given moment. So when I just stop thinking about doing things, and just get down to doing them one at a time I find it easiest to sit first and then everything else falls into place. I think I just talked myself in a circle...I hope that made some kind of sense.

Just sit...as Nike and Jundo says, "Just Do It" :lol: . Very powerful marketing for Buddhism, as well as, shoes and sports. Now I'm rambling...

Re: Hitting the Wall

Hi Kyle,

This has happened to me just the last couple days and I was beginning to fret about it, but you reminded me of what I should do: just sit. Worrying about what didn't happen just leads to more worry and not what is.

Re: Hitting the Wall

Look, I try to be realistic about this. Our practice is sometimes like a diet or exercise routine. We fall off, hopefully will get back on (this week, my wife brought me a bag of Fig Newtons as a present from her visit to America ... well, those things will kill a diet real fast. I am trying to get back on today).

So, falling off the wagon a bit is no excuse to stay off the wagon forever, nor to pig out on Fig Newtons for weeks! Get back on that wagon.

However, the one thing about falling "off the wagon" in our Zazen is that there is no "on" or "off", no place to fall, and "falling off the wagon" truly is an important part of the process. It is a little like saying that one first realizes the real beauty and value of breathing ... when one tries to stop breathing for awhile.

I have always found in the past that periods of dropping away from Zazen practice, even for weeks, have been helpful in the long run ... to lend perspective and such. However, I always came back.

Re: Hitting the Wall

Originally Posted by Myoshin

I guess like any runner, I have hit that mythical wall. I have had a bit of a hiccup in practice.
This past week has been crazy. I have been busy with work, school and college plans. I remember how it started. I broke a rule and skipped sitting one night. I said that I would make it up the next night, but that never happened. Besides I did not think one day would matter. Well one day turned into two, three, four, and then a week and a half flew by. I felt as if something was missing. I would try to fit in an insta-zazen here and there but I did not think that was a proper substitute. I thought it was my imagination and it very well may be, but I think it is from not sitting.

I just was wondering if anyone else has ever had a hiccup in practice. If anyone else ‘pushed off’ sitting and if anyone else felt odd when they did.

In any case I am sitting again starting today, and I hope to continue daily.

Re: Hitting the Wall

Hiyas already been said but what the hay!

Ive gone weeks with out sitting at times and each time i left my practice like that i noticed(and others around me) the affects. now it still happens time to time but each time its been less and less... for awhile i made a point to sit only 6 days. 1 day to be a lazy bum. Ive since passed that too and am sitting daily again im sure ill hiccup again ( T-minus 3 weeks and counting until new baby-dom).

It does give perspective. and squelches any doubts that sometimes creep up. I don't beat myself up over it yet i do not take a "MEH" approach at it either. If i miss a few sittings i look at what reasons im putting up. (tired, too hungry, fav tv show what ever...) and then work around it. I don't HAVE to sit @ 11pm (or for others 5AM sharp) whats wrong with 9? Now i sit earlier in the evening and it prevents sleepy zen plus my little one helps ring the bell too. And she sings (not quite as helpful but good practice too :P**)

Gassho and happy practice, ITS ALL practice.
Shohei

**gotta bell for my b-day from my lovely wife and daughter and since getting it I had to laugh and admit that ive had a that song stuck in my head - "You Can Ring my Beeeee eeeee eeellll," - by Anita Ward :| :roll:

Re: Hitting the Wall

I've been guilty of the same thing. Eventually, I start back up again. The longest (this last year and a half anyway) I've gone without sitting is about 3 weeks. I have been a 6 days a week guy but with the Big Sit I'm going to try and do it every day. If I don't make it, I'll just start over. It's good to hear I'm not the only one.

Re: Hitting the Wall

Hi,

Except when I'm away on vacation and do Insta-Zazen (approx. 7-10 days per year), I sit every day. It's not something I force myself to do, it's more like a whale coming up for air when the time comes. A whale doesn't set a specific time to come up for air or rationalize why it should or shouldn't. I think that kind of mental chatter is one of the biggest obstacles. When the time comes, just surface.